Things are typical in Octavinelle dorm. Octavinelle students are bustling place to place, some of them are doing kitchen duty. Nothing special happening.

While everyone is doing the same ole routine, Azul is sitting in his office writing down paperwork as always until a knock came from the door. The octopus darts his pale blue eyes at the door.

"Come in." He said as the door opens to reveal the composed eel carrying a tray of tea.

"Good afternoon, Azul." He greeted him as the eel sauntered to the octopus.

"How are the employees doing? Any trouble?" He asks curiously.

"Certainly not, everyone is working as usual. The other employees are setting up table wares on each and every table for tonight." Jade explains and Azul nods before taking a cup of tea and drank it. Then he placed it on his desk and pushed his glasses up.

"Yesterday was exhausting." He sighs.

"I'm not surprised when Jamil was the mastermind behind the sabotage. Not to mention his status as a servant caused him to overblot. No wonder why Jamil dislikes Kalim." Azul perks a smirk.

"Though I must admit. He's quite amusing to see his true self despite his bland nature. Even more amusing to see him reject my offer." He chuckled.

"You certainly aren't giving up, don't you?" Jade asks with a sneaky smile.

"Maybe so. I certainly won't be surprised to see him crawling to my dorm. He might be useful in our dorm after all." He assumed with a smirk.

"I highly doubt that would happen considering the fact that you're a conniving and deceitful mastermind." Jade snarks with a smirk. Azul rolled his eyes.

"Please. You're just as bad as me and Floyd. You tend to mask your true self behind that gentleman facade of yours..." Soon, Azul glanced at Jade with cold blue eyes.

"That is until you met Glofish." Azul pointed out. Jade wasn't fazed and kept his smile on tact.

"Oya. You really think so?" Jade asks with a smile, but his eyes said something else. Azul's eyes narrowed as he stared at him coldly.

"I know so. You and Floyd have been acting odd ever since you arrived back from the Coral Sea the other day. Not to mention that you'd been touchy towards her at Crowley's office before showing Rapunzel and her friends around campus." He listed out as he shoot him with frigid blue eyes.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" He asks curiously.

"We know each other since middle school and I know what kind of person you exactly are, so fess up. What exactly happened between you and Jade?" Azul directly confronted the eel. Jade reminisced about the memory when Glory healed him after accidentally injuring him at the coral sea. Then he remembers Glory dancing with Floyd, Kalim, and Jamil at the oasis and the gift that he opened yesterday after they got back from Scarabia.

He blushed a little before responding back to the dorm leader.

"Nothing particularly, Azul. I was just doing what a vice dorm leader does." Jade lied acting well-mannered and composed, but the octopus wasn't falling for his lie as he squinted his eyes staring at him skeptically.

"Is that so?" He asks dryly as the octopus stares at him like he's seeing through his white lies.

"Like the time when you and Floyd lied to me about her moonstone power that she possessed? Or wasn't something else you didn't tell me?" He assumes. Jade stared at him for a minute, thinking about his promise with Glory and confrontation with Azul at the Octavinelle lounge. Couldn't keep his promise any longer, Jade adjusted his fedora.

"Well...we know something about her that you don't..." He told him.

"Oh?" Azul creased his brows at him.

~~~~~~~

After Jade told him the truth with specific details, Azul adjusted his glasses.

"So you're telling me that after Glofish gained the moonstone, she unintentionally summoned rocks from the depths of the sea where Floyd swam after her, but you took the hit?" Azul guessed.

"Correct, Azul. However, Angelfish healed me after we saw her at the infirmary with Merlin and Vivien. After that, Angelfish told us not to tell you about the incident." He explains. Unfazed, Azul stares at him blankly before he responds.

"Is that all you're hiding or was it something else?" Azul asks curiously with blue eyes glinting with envy. Jade remains unmoved and lightly bows his head.

"I can assure you there is not." He reassures plastering his usual smile to mask his feelings for Glory, but Azul sees right through him as he squints his eyes.

"Isn't that so?" He grumbles coldly as the octopus turns his desk back with the eel smiling mockingly.

"Aren't you being prickly." Jade sarcastically compliments.

"I'm not, I can assure you." Azul curtly retorts while facing away, but Jade wasn't buying his lie and chuckled.

"Really? Sounds like you're envious, Azul." He snarks. Azul gritted his teeth as he slams his fist against the desk and whips his head at him.

"I don't want to hear someone who has feelings for the same girl!" Azul snapped, but widened his eyes after spouting out his romantic feelings for the ravenette. The poor octopus blushed as the result with Jade unfazed by his outburst since he knew about his growing feelings for Glory.

"Oya. So you're admitting it? Honestly you're easy to read." He coldly mocks irking Azul. Usually, he would be snarky towards his friends while smiling like a gentleman, but this time it's different. He could feel his blood boil as the eel gazed down at the octopus with frigid heterochromatic eyes.

"How unfortunate." He sneered.

"Says you." Azul fired back keeping his cool. As both mermen exchange daggers, Jade averts his gaze and tips his fedora.

"Pardon me, but I should be on my way now." He dryly informed as he saunters and left the office. Once he left, Azul sighs and leans his head back.

"What a pain..." He grumbles. Azul lowers his head to glance at his shell bracelet on his right wrist as he looks back on the gift he received from his crush.

~~~~~
I'm not really good at picking out gifts, but I hope this shell bracelet would pleased you. Besides, this is my way of saying thank you for the present you gave me after we got back from the museum and my performance. Have a good holiday, Azul!
~~~~~~

As he looks back from the letter, Azul then reminisced his time with Glory at the oasis where showed his form for the second time.

~~~~~~
"You look beautiful, Azul. Both inside and out. Both in human and octopus."
~~~~~~

While looking back, Azul lets out a sigh and tips his fedora slightly where steam starts to come out from his ears with cheeks are red.

Glofish... I can't hold back anymore....

He thought as Azul glance at the door with blue orbs glint with danger.

Because I won't let both twins win you over....

Azul pondered with intense blue orbs.

—————

Meanwhile at the halls, Jade is strolling around, acting like his usual self, but deep down he can't brushed off this irritable feeling out of his chest.

This is what is like to feel jealous, Huh? How troublesome....

Jade thought as looks back at the gift that Glory gave him.

~~~~~~
Since you love mushrooms so much, I gave you a gift of a cute mushroom necklace. I was going to get you a gift along with the others, but Vivi beat me to it. Hehehe that did not go as I planned, but at least I got everything I need. Hope you enjoyed this gift and happy holiday!
~~~~~~

As he look back, Jade sighs and stops walking where he reached his hand to his neck collar and pulls out a small red mushroom necklace that he's wearing.

How odd that I find myself attracted to a human like her...

He thought as a memory of Glory healing him flashed before his eyes where she healed him back in the infirmary. Soon he lets out a soft chuckle.

My, what an unexpected year we're having.

Jade thought before peeking an amused grin. Soon, Jade place the necklace back inside his shirt as the eel walks off.

——————

Elsewhere at Octavinelle, Floyd sauntering around minding his business while gazing at the ceiling.

Yesterday was fun!

He thought as Floyd remembered how he dragged Glory into a dance before letting out a giggle.

Lionfish is so cool. She twirls around like a mermaid when she dances

Floyd mentally praised as he thought fondly of her dancing with him at the oasis. She smiles fondly when imaging her twirling around in her cute bikini, but his face turns into a frown when an image of Kalim and Jamil interfering with his Lionfish after his dance. Then, he thought about Riddle pulling Glory away from him during physical education that made him click his tongue.

How annoying...

He thought as he ruffles his hair before an image of Glory flashed before his eyes. Soon he opens his heterochromia eyes filled with love.

"I want to see her again...." He mumbled.

Because I won't anybody touch my lionfish!

———————
Ughhh finally I'm done with this chapter! Only six more chapters to go before heading straight to the pomefiore arc! I know this is long but please bare with me. It's not easy to write a chapter like this.

Once again, sorry for the hiatus. I was dealing with personal issues going on in my life because of COVID-19, insecurities are being a pain in the ass, and writer's block does not help with me at all.

Also, a fan send me a cool fan art of his OC scaring off Glory's ex. Here it is:

***Shout out to KerbyCelso for drawing this magnificent fan art of Mahiko(his/her oc) scaring Marc. It looks amazing!^***

That's all for now and I'll let you know when the next chapter is updated. Bye bye.